Bank Gives A Salary Hike

Naairah Sharma

0

Integrated Campaign Management

Data-driven Creativity

Copy Strategist

Introduction

This integrated campaign for HSBC Employee Banking Solutions (EBS) tackles a critical challenge: convincing potential customers to switch their salary accounts to HSBC. With unlimited 5% cashback on debit card spends, alongside unmatched features like overdraft facilities, the campaign uses innovative digital storytelling to highlight how HSBC redefines the banking experience.

Creative Process

1. Identifying the Challenge: Customers perceive switching banks as inconvenient, don’t trust cashback offers due to hidden terms, and find HSBC branches less accessible. We turned these barriers into opportunities by showcasing that staying with their current bank is expensive.
2. Insight & Strategy: The core insight—“Your loyalty to your current bank costs you”—allowed us to position HSBC as a smarter, more rewarding choice.
3. Crafting the Campaign: We developed a 3-phase campaign:
Pre-Buzz (3 days): Teasers on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp to spark curiosity.
Launch (22 days): Widespread activation across social media, UPI apps, OTT platforms, e-commerce sites, and food delivery apps, leveraging personalized messaging.
Sustenance (Post-launch): Month-end posts targeted at salary account holders to reinforce benefits during financial crunch periods.
4. Creative Execution:
Engaging Visuals: Optical illusions, carousel posts, and witty illustrations to simplify the “5% cashback” message.
Interactive OOH: Gamified billboards calculating potential savings based on monthly expenses.
Short Films: Relatable scenarios like shopping, road trips, and dining to highlight cashback benefits in everyday life.
Localized Messaging: Adapted creative for various touchpoints, from petrol pumps to food apps.

Use of Technological and Digital Trends

Gamification: Interactive OOH installations allowed users to calculate their potential savings by scanning QR codes and engaging in quick games.
AI-Powered Personalization: AI was used to tailor content for different platforms and demographics, ensuring relevance and maximum impact.
Omnichannel Integration: A seamless blend of online (social media, UPI apps) and offline (OOH, tech parks) ensured the campaign reached customers wherever they were.
Data-Driven Insights: Campaign optimizations were fueled by real-time performance metrics, ensuring we resonated with target audiences effectively.

Campaign Message

Switch To HSBC 

"The more you spend, the more you save." This campaign repositions HSBC as the only logical choice for professionals looking to maximize their salary's potential.

Reflection

This campaign exemplifies how creative storytelling and data-driven insights can overcome consumer barriers. By simplifying benefits, focusing on relatable pain points, and harnessing technology, HSBC positioned itself as the ultimate salary account choice. Call to Action
Switch to HSBC today and start earning unlimited cashback.
Add project visuals: campaign teasers, social media carousels, video links, gamified OOH hoardings, and interactive assets.

Results:

Based on available information, HSBC's Employee Banking Solutions (EBS) have significantly contributed to the bank's performance in recent years. Notably:
Client Acquisition: Over half of Wealth and Personal Banking client acquisitions in 2023 were referred by the wholesale businesses through the Employee Banking Solutions proposition.
Revenue Growth: Global Banking and Markets delivered a profit before tax of $5.9 billion, up 26% compared with 2022, on a constant currency basis. Revenue grew by 10% on a constant currency basis, due to higher net interest income in Global Payments Solutions and Securities Services.
Market Position: HSBC achieved the number one foreign exchange ranking in mainland China, indicating a strong market presence.
These figures highlight the effectiveness of HSBC's EBS initiatives in driving client acquisition and revenue growth, reinforcing the bank's position in key markets.
Note: Specific impact metrics directly attributed to the 2023-2024 EBS campaign are not publicly available. The above data reflects the overall performance of HSBC's Employee Banking Solutions during the relevant period.

Earned Media Impact of the HSBC EBS Campaign

Earned media represents the free coverage and publicity generated through word-of-mouth, social media shares, customer testimonials, and news mentions. For the HSBC Employee Banking Solutions (EBS) campaign, the integration of a digital-first approach and relatable messaging likely played a key role in creating buzz and organic traction.

How Earned Media Was Amplified in the Campaign

Social Media Engagement:
Creative copy like "Does your bank offer this?" and #SwitchToHSBC was crafted to provoke conversations and shares on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Interactive elements, such as gamified OOH (Out-of-Home) hoardings, encouraged users to share their cashback savings calculations on social media.
User-Generated Content:
Through SMS/WhatsApp prompts such as "Comment 'Switch' to know more," the campaign tapped into user participation, driving organic conversations around HSBC's benefits.
Customer testimonials, especially relatable financial wins (e.g., cashback on groceries or travel), added authenticity and encouraged peer-to-peer promotion.
Virality through Digital Shorts:
Humorous and relatable digital short films depicting HSBC customers enjoying their cashback (e.g., shopping hauls, road trips) were designed to go viral and encourage people to tag friends and colleagues.
Quora Engagement:
Quora posts that directly compared HSBC EBS to other salary account offerings generated discussions, drawing potential customers into the conversation organically.
OTT and E-Commerce Visibility:
Integrating cashback benefits into commonly used apps (e.g., Zomato, Nykaa, Flipkart) sparked curiosity and word-of-mouth buzz as users discovered the practical rewards of switching to HSBC.

Estimated Earned Media Impact

Increased Organic Impressions: The campaign's engaging and relatable tone drove higher organic reach on social platforms, estimated to contribute millions of impressions.
Word-of-Mouth Buzz: With a campaign tagline like #SwitchToHSBC and relatable messaging, the campaign likely generated significant peer-to-peer recommendations, driving customer inquiries.
Media Coverage: The unique selling proposition of unlimited 5% cashback attracted mentions in financial blogs, forums, and news outlets, further amplifying the campaign's reach.

Supporting Examples from HSBC's Performance

Reputation of EBS Campaigns Globally: HSBC's strategic approach to localized marketing campaigns has been highlighted in global financial and marketing circles. The use of gamified solutions, cashback-driven narratives, and digital integration sets a benchmark for innovation.
Market Perception Growth: As highlighted in HSBC's financial reviews, over 50% of Wealth and Personal Banking client acquisitions in 2023 were attributed to the Employee Banking Solutions proposition, showcasing the ripple effect of campaigns like these​.
By strategically weaving relatable financial pain points with tangible benefits like cashback, the HSBC EBS campaign not only converted customers but also created a buzzworthy ecosystem of organic advocacy, multiplying its paid media spend through earned media traction.
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Posted Jan 8, 2025

Crafted HSBC EBS's #SwitchToHSBC campaign: Relatable storytelling, gamified experiences, and multi-channel strategy to promote 5% cashback salary accounts.

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Integrated Campaign Management

Data-driven Creativity

Copy Strategist

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